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Monday, December 30, 2013

What a week. I've been to Vermont to see a Northern Hawk Owl, York PA for family Christmas Eve, Florida to visit my mother and Dave, and then to Cape May to see 2 more contest birds.

No birds in York at all and only a few in Florida. Mostly, we visited, ate, drank beer, rode around in a golf cart (don't worry, not after the beer part) and swam in the pool. I did manage to snap a few photos of Ibis and Cranes. We were able to get up close and personal with both species as they meandered next to the golf cart paths on Christmas Day.

White Ibis

Sandhill Crane

Of course, a new bird showed up in Cape May while I was in Florida. I could scream. We arrived back in Philly at 11:15 PM last night and I was in Cape May this morning at 9:30 AM today to see the bird. I know, I know - NUTS! White-winged Dove #354. It's the dove in the background with the white wings :-)

Mourning Dove (front), White-winged Dove (rear)

You might be sick of this by now but guess what else I saw today? Yep - another Snowy Owl, #6 for the year. This one was stationed on the beach at Cape May Point. All of the Cape May birders were on the beach looking at it when I got there. You should have seen the expression on their faces when Roxy showed up. Ha. She didn't go onto the beach with me but I could tell they were nervous (smirk).

Snowy Owl - Cape May Point

I got a bonus bird today too - Whooper Swan. This is a rare bird that may or may not count toward the contest since most birders say that it is probably escaped from a zoo or something. But Patty and I are not taking any chances. We saw the bird and are both putting it on our lists.With any luck at all, this bird will be #355! Notice how much yellow it has on the bill.

Whooper Swan with Canada Goose

Almost done. 1 more day to go in the contest. We plan to go to Tinicum tomorrow to finish the contest in the field. We don't expect to add to our totals but hopefully we will get some good local birds.

Monday, December 23, 2013

This is yet another post about an owl - but NOT a Snowy Owl. This is a post about an even more obscure and mystical owl - the Northern Hawk Owl. It's THE owl that I have wanted to see ever since I got my first field guide. Back then, there was no Internet. No easy way to know where a bird might have been seen recently. No websites with amazing photos of birds. I used to thumb through that Golden Guide and dream about seeing exotic birds like the Northern Hawk Owl and think - "there is no way that I'll ever see this bird". The bird lives in northern Canada and does not migrate like some other birds. How would I ever be able to get to northern Canada to see one?

Good news - Al Gore invented the Internet and people actually use it to post bird sightings. More good news -people reported a Northern Hawk Owl in Vermont! I know what you are thinking - Vermont is really far from Philly. You already know what happened - I went to Vermont. What you don't know is that 4 other crazy birders went with me AND the trip wasn't even my idea AND I didn't drive! HA. The plan was set. I would meet the gang at the George Washington Bridge on Sunday at 6 AM.

I was out the door at 4:15 AM, at the GW by 6 and in Vermont with the gang by 11 AM. The gang consisted of Marc, Brandon, Debi and Alyssa - mostly new friends that I have met during the Big Year. Our friend Larry went up to Vermont on Saturday and gave us tips on exactly where to see the bird. He sent us photos that he took of the bird on Saturday. The weather didn't quite cooperate for us on Sunday. The temperature was 65 degrees when I left the house in Philly but is was raining too. By the time we got to the highway in Vermont, the temperature had dropped and the rain was freezing on the roads. Poor Brandon could barely see the road through the thick fog. I thought we were doomed but he did a great job driving.

The owl was being reported along Rt 100 in Waterbury Center VT - a pretty busy road. When we arrived at 11 AM, another bird photographer was walking along the road carrying his ginormous camera back to his car. We asked about the owl. He told us that it caught a mouse and flew up over the hill with it. Damn! The hill was part of a big farm field that had trees along the back edge which we couldn't see from the road. The guy told us to hang around because the owl would eventually return to the dead tree which was right next to the road and then he left. We walked up the road and stood by the tree being sprayed by dirty, salty road goo. We stood there for awhile. No owl.

Brandon couldn't take it anymore and decided to go across the street and hike up the hill to see if he could see the owl. Never mind the big yellow "No Trespassing" signs. He could see the owl sitting in a tree at the back of the field! So close but yet so far. We were in a dilemma. We didn't want to ignore the No Trespassing signs but we definitely wanted to see the bird that we drove 7 hours to see. Thankfully, Alyssa had an idea - she was gong to knock on the door of the house and ask for permission to stand in the field. Off she went. She reappeared about 10 minutes later along with the homeowners waving for us all to come into the field. She's my Big Daddy! The rest of us ran up the hill to join her. And there it was - the Northern Hawk Owl.

Can you see it? First, find the people, then look at the trees. The owl is not in those trees. The owl is in the one of the trees way back in the fog. That is where we had to hike to see the bird.

Crossing the field

I wore sneakers since it was supposed to be 65 degrees and I was told that the owl was right along the road. Big mistake. By the time we got close enough to actually see the owl, my feet were soaked. Everyone else who saw the bird stood on the road and got GREAT photos. Like this one that Larry gave me permission to use.

Northern Hawk Owl - photo by Larry Scacchetti

Our photos are terrible but keep in mind - we saw a Northern Hawk Owl! I still can't believe it. The next photo was taken by Alyssa with an iPhone through Brandon's scope and processed through Photoshop. Not bad!

Northern Hawk Owl - photo by Alyssa Della Fave

This photo was taken by me. It is severely cropped so that you can see the owl since we did't want to get too close to the tree and spook the owl. Check out the ice on the branches - we drove and walked through that mess.

Northern Hawk Owl - photo by Linda Widdop

The homeowners didn't join us on our hike across the field since they already had a week's worth of up close views of the owl. Although they didn't join us, they did invite us to stop in on the way back for some hot tea and cupcakes. How nice was that? "Sure - tramp all through our fields and then we'll make you hot tea and cupcakes". Can you imagine that? Wait til you read the next part - they are owl lovers. They had owl knickknacks all over the house. What are the odds that a rare owl would choose their field to spend the winter? Anyway, many thanks to Ron and Nancy for inviting us into their home. I can only hope that we have the opportunity to return the hospitality someday.

Hawk Owl gang and hosts

We couldn't resist taking a few parting shots on our way back to the car.

Don't go there

Big Daddy!

Of course, the homeowner sent an email at 3 PM telling us that the owl was back along the road. Sigh. We were already too far away to turn around. I arrived back home just before midnight. It was a long day but one that we will not forget. Northern Hawk Owl!!!!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Snow Owls are literally everywhere this year. My last post told the story of the first 2 owls that were reported in NJ this year. Since then, Snow Owls have been reported from all over the Delaware Valley including 2 at Stone Harbor Point which I photographed at length on Sunday (photos below), at least 4 in Delaware, 1 at the Northeast Philly Airport, another at the International Airport, a few in Amish country, another one near West Chester today, a few reports from my friend Frank in New England, and I even saw a photo of a Snow Owl sitting on a building in Bermuda. You read that right - Bermuda, the little island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

A few photos from my latest encounter with one of the most accommodating owls in history. This guy - yes it's a male - sat out on the beach while joggers, dog walkers, jeeps and birders passed by, stopped to gawk and photograph him and never moved . . . The first photo shows the "Free Bridge" that connects Stone Harbor and Wildwood in the background.

Snowy Owl - Stone Harbor Point

Here is a closer view. You can tell this is a male due to the thin barring on the chest and light markings on the head.

Snowy Owl closeup

Here is a photo later in the day when the light started to get nice and pink.

Snowy Owl

You can see the yellow eyes on this next photo and Stone Harbor houses in the background

Snowy Owl

The owl just sat there until . . . a Great Blue Heron flew overhead. Who would have thought that an owl would be afraid of a heron?

Scaredy - Owl

I had the fortune of having a famous photographer show up and help me with settings etc but I still didn't get a crisp shot of Scaredy Owl when he hunched over and took cover in the reeds.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

I had "one of those days" today. A Snowy Owl was reported at Sandy Hook NJ yesterday. Snowy Owl is one of those birds that is mythic. It is rare outside of the arctic. It is regal. It is powerful. It is awesome. I am drawn to it.

Reports were scattered. Some said that they owl was on the beach, others said that the bird was on the move, and still others said that the bird was gone. I resolved to see the bird this afternoon if anyone reported it. So, at noon I left the office and headed north on I-95 to Sandy Hook which is the northern most beach in NJ. My friend Harvey called to say that he hadn't heard anything about the bird and that it was pouring rain so I turned around and headed south to the shore Just then, a text message came in stating that the owl was indeed at Sandy Hook. You guessed it, I turned around again and headed north. I arrived at Sandy Hook 2 hours later and hoofed it a half mile out through the sand dunes to the northern tip of NJ with binoculars, camera, scope and tripod. I emerged from the dunes to see 4 people standing with binoculars. One of them was waving frantically and yelling "There's 2, there's 2! There's 2 owls here!"

You gotta be kidding me. 2 Snowy Owls in NJ in Nov. Impossible. Yet there they were - sitting on the beach. My birding friend Alyssa was there too thanking me for having a scope. We set it up and got great views. I also took some photos. You can see 1 white spec in the center and another one to the right of that on the horizon. Those are the owls. The day got a little better when the sun appeared and made the owls glow against the sand.

2 Snowy Owls

We were standing pretty far away from the birds. There was an orange fence on the beach with a sign stating something like "Construction Zone - Keep Out". As we stood there, a guy with a camera goes walking out past the fence right toward the owls. I whistled and yelled "YO! Get away from the birds!" (I yelled that a few times and might have had some other choice words mixed in). He stopped and walked toward us. It was only then that I noticed he was wearing a park ranger uniform. Uh-oh. He came over and said that he was trying to get the birds to come closer. What?!?! Nevermind.

Then I got ballsy and asked the ranger if the rest of us could get closer too. He said he was leaving and we could do whatever we wanted but that Jeanie was still on duty. We took that to mean "Yes, you can get closer" so we did. We stayed together and walked slowly along the dune stopping every 50 feet to make sure the birds weren't spooked. Then, the guy in the white pickup truck (see photo above) came after us. He isn't a park ranger, he is a security guard for the construction company. We ignored him until he got out of the truck. I told the group that I would handle it (fully expecting to be arrested or something). The security guard said that we were in a restricted area. I immediately said that the ranger gave us permission to go along the dune to see the owls (again, expecting to be escorted off the beach in handcuffs). All he said was "Oh, OK". I asked if he wanted to see the owls through the scope. He was amazed. We were in like Flynn.

Annie and another guy named Greg showed up met us in the restricted zone too. Then Jeanie showed up (gulp). She is a real park ranger biologist and knows what's what. I thought we were doomed but she was totally cool with us being there. I guess she saw how careful we were being and figured that it was OK for us to bend the rules a bit. She told us that she had a group of Intellectually Challenged kids on the beach to see the owl earlier and it was actually one of them who noticed the second bird. Way to go! And then, the most amazing thing happened. Jeanie put us all in her truck and drove us closer to the owls. Check this out. The first photo is not cropped at all. The blur in the bottom left is the side mirror of the truck. The owl just sat there and looked at us. They aren't afraid of trucks or cars which allows us to get pretty close.

Snowy Owl - Sandy Hook NJ

This is the same photo cropped so you can see her markings. Yes, it's a "her". You can tell that this is female because she has black spots. Males are almost completely white. The other bird also appeared to be a female. I wonder if they are sisters.

Snowy Owl

She finally decided to fly to another clump of dune grass. I have a few photos of her in flight but this one is the best because it shows her furry feet. Snowy Owls are one of the few (if only) raptors that have feathers all the way down to their feet which makes sense to keep them warm.

Snowy Owl in flight

Jeanie (who is now known as the best ranger ever) took us back to our starting point and headed out to do her real job. I vowed to send her these photos to post on the Sandy Hook website. We all just stood there in awe for a few minutes and then I just started yelling "I can't believe it, I can't believe it". I almost cried for joy. 2 Snowy Owls. I still can't believe it.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Many of you already know that the Bird Nerds volunteer to help with Red Knot banding projects. This little bird is a long distance migrant. They spend the winter in Argentina and nest in the Canadian Arctic. Check out a globe to see how far that is to fly. I know people that would not even attempt that distance in a plane let alone flapping their own wings. These birds weigh only a few ounces yet they fly all of that way - twice - once in spring and back again in fall. Each spring, the birds stop at the Delaware Bay to fuel up on horseshoe crab eggs. They time their arrival in May just when the crabs are laying eggs along the beach. It is a spectacle - hundreds of ugly horseshoe crabs and thousands of birds spread out along the beach. Our house in the Villas right in the heart of this mayhem. It is one of the reasons that we bought property here.

Red Knot numbers are declining. Each year, scientists count and band fewer of these birds. There are many reasons for the decline but Delaware Bay crabs are definitely one of them. As with everything else in this world, protecting the Red Knot requires money. Scientists and conservationists need to get paid. Boats and planes and other equipment needs to be used. The list goes on. One way to help the Red Knot is to tell the government to list the bird on the Endangered Species List. NJ Audubon is making it easy for you to do this. Here is a link to their webpage. All you need to do is send your comment. They even provide sample letter that you can cut and paste into the comment form. Please do this and send the link to others. We need as many people as possible to help. Even if you've never seen a Red Knot, please comment.

Monday, November 18, 2013

One of the things about the Big Year is that I hear about all of the rare birds in the area via Internet, text, email and phone calls. The other thing about the contest is that when you get a rare bird, you think WOW. And then it's weird when another one shows up. When a third one shows up, you start to be blase about it. OK, the fourth time it shows I start to wonder how "rare" it really is. The bird that I'm talking about is usually found in Texas in open field habitat. It has been seen 3 times in NJ and this weekend in Philadelphia. Philadelphia as in a very urban area. Bartram's Gardens is located in southwest Philly along the Schulkyll river. The gardens are pinned in by row houses and train tracks but it does have an open field that is pretty perfect for flycatchers.

I took the opportunity to shoot a few photos before a hockey game. At first, I couldn't locate the bird or any other birders for that matter. A few guys showed up with scopes and we went into the woods where the bird was reported. I think there were too many kids and dogs and joggers around the field for the bird to hang around. I decided to go into the field anyway and wait for the bird to return. I made the right choice. I stood quietly near a few bushes in the middle of the field and viola - the bird showed up. WOW! What a sight. The extra long tail is enough to make this bird special but the salmon flanks puts it over the top.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Someone asked me recently - when did the Billings Big Year contest go from "the contest" to the "stupid contest" and then to the "stupidfuckingcontest"? That is a fair question. Remember - at first I wasn't interested in entering the contest to win. I just wanted to have fun and set a personal goal to see 300 species in our DVOC area. The DVOC area is defined as south Jersey, Eastern PA, and the state of Delaware. Back then, it was "The Contest". Back then, my friend Patty was in the contest for the same reason. In fact, her personal goal was lower than mine.

Then in April, the list of contestants was published and I discovered that the only serious contestants were me and Patty. That information put the 2 of us into direct competition to win the contest. That meant 2 things. First, we both had to take the contest seriously in order to win with a total that is in line with other winners. And second, we were no longer working together just for fun. We were both now very invested in doing a Big Year and we both wanted to win the contest. Ugh. Hence, "The Contest" turned into the "The Stupid Contest".

Thankfully, the 2 of us came to an agreement to continue to work together and not hold anything back from each other. It makes sense. We are both chasing the same birds so why not go together? We met our personal goals by June 1st. 300 species for me, 287 for Patty. June 1st. Ta-da! Now what? We keep going, that's what. 301, 302, 310, 320, 330 by the end of the summer. Running around chasing all of those birds is exhausting. No rest for the weary. In August, just when we thought we could start to take it easy, the fall rarities started showing up. Hence, "The Stupid Contest" became "thestupidfuckingcontest".

By now - EVERYONE knows that I'm doing a Big Year. I do mean everyone. Birders all over the country, people from the dog park, people at work, clients, hockey players, everyone. Most conversations start with the question - "What's your number?" My number as of today is 349 thanks to the Northern Goshawk sighting at Hawk Mountain last Sunday. 349 is huge for me. Patty is right on my heels with 345. She should close the gap soon with Rough-legged Hawk and Sedge Wren. We are both pushing for 350 and will get there next Saturday when we go out on another pelagic (open ocean) boat trip.

A few of the birds that required multiple attempts to see last winter are proving to be pretty easy now. Here are a few. Black-headed Gull. This bird shows up every year a few blocks from our house in the Villas. I stood there on the beach at least 4 times with no luck. I also went all the way to north Jersey chasing on at Morgan Ave Mud Flats and busted there too before getting a distant view of one at Heislerville. Very disappointing. The first one of the winter showed up in the Villas yesterday and I finally got a satisfying view. My Big Year buddies Lester and John joined me on the beach to watch and photograph the bird. It's not sexy, but it is a coveted Big Year bird.

Black-headed Gull

I know what you're thinking - where is the black head? It only has the black head in summer along with alot of other gull species. The field marks for this bird are the red legs and bill which can be seen in the photos.

Black-headed Gull

Another bird that we chased a few times is Snow Bunting. These are cute little birds that show up along the beaches in winter. Patty and I went to Cape May and Sandy Hook NJ separately trying to see this bird. We also drove all the way to Rehoboth Beach Delaware a few times before seeing a flock under the bridge at Indian River Inlet. Of course, they are showing up en masse in November right along the beach in Cape May. They are so cute that you have to take photos of them.

Snow Bunting

Snow Buntings at Cape May

The other birds that are showing up now are rare hummingbirds. My friend Harvey has a great yard for hummingbirds and he keeps getting hummingbirds visiting to this day. I was there on Saturday photographing a hummer that could end up being my #350 if the experts agree that it is a Black-chinned Hummingbird.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Today marks 5 years since the very first Philly Bird Nerd post - which was titled "Bird Nerd Overview". I had no idea what I was doing but I thought it would be fun to use the blog as a way to keep a journal of our birding expeditions. It worked! I find myself going back through the posts for a good laugh now and then. Here are some of my favorites. Please post a comment to let me know which posts are your favorites.

Alot has happened in those 5 years - pets and loved ones passed, new friends made, lots of laughs and tons of new birds added to the life list.

P.S. - if you are reading this through an email, you may need to open the blog from an Internet browser in order to get the links to work properly.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

I spent a few days in San Francisco - on the same day that Twitter (based in San Fran) went public. Alot of people got rich - not me. Not many birds to be seen but the ones that I saw were up close and personal. I took a walk from my hotel all the way to the Golden Gate bridge which was alot further than I thought.

Golden Gate Bridge

Along the way, I got close views of some common birds including a Western Grebe. These are the best photos that I have of this species.

Western Grebe

Western Grebe

I also had great views of Alcatraz from the shore. I tried to get a tour but they are completely sold out for days in advance. Be warned - buy your tickets before you arrive in San Francisco if you ever want to take the tour. I admit that I am so bird obsessed that this photo started out to be of a White-crowned Sparrow until I looked up and notices Alcatraz and the sailboat in the background.

Alcatraz with White-crowned Sparrow

Here are the sparrows up close and personal. The first is a juvenile which doesn't have the "white crown". The second photo shows the crown pretty well.

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Another sparrow that caught my eye was this Fox Sparrow. Our Fox Sparrows are much redder. Out west, they are really dark. The field guide calls them "sooty". Here is a photo of one with a berry.

Fox Sparrow (Pacific)

I had to take a break after walking for miles lugging my camera, jacket and binoculars so I stopped at the Golden Gate Visitor Center and grabbed an orange soda (they didn't have Diet Coke) and some Goldfish crackers. I was soon joined by some friends who wanted to share my snack.

Brewers Blackbird

Yes, I rewarded the bad behavior of the Brewer's Blackbirds. They would come right up and snatch the cracker from my fingers! It was cute and I'll probably get cited for feeding the wildlife but I was lonely and bored and tired from my walk.

Beggar!

I can't wait to get home! Oh, did I tell you that I get to spend a whole night at home before heading to New Orleans? Don't expect a bird report thought. I don't think I'll get out of the city on that trip.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

It never rains in California - but it does get foggy and misty and drizzly - just don't call it rain. We wanted to do some birding in the mountains near Mt. Wilson observatory on Monday so we left early and headed up, up, up. We hit fog at 1,000 feet. Di did a great job keeping us on the road all the way up the winding, fogged in road to 5,000 feet. Not many birds to be seen but we did get a few new ones for Barbara including a bonus Phainopepla (you read that right). The Phainopepla looks like a jet black Cardinal. It is the bird on the right in photo sitting with a Spotted Towhee on top of Mt. Wilson.

Spotted Towhee (left) and Phainopepla (right)

The cool thing about PhotoShop is that you can remove fog from a photo by using an enhancement feature. One click and poof - no more fog. The photo above looked as bad as this one of Di and Barbara standing in front of one of the telescopes on Mt. Wilson.

Foggy Outlook

Once we made it back to the sun, we had great looks at some of the west coast's most interesting woodpeckers. One of the more common woodpeckers is Acorn Woodpecker. They remind me of clowns by the way they look and act. They live in groups which is unusual for woodpecker and are really loud. They store acorns in holes that they drill into tree trunks and branches.

Acorn Woodpecker

We were treated to a rare sight on Tuesday up in the Santa Monica Mountains - a Lewis's Woodpecker put on a great show flying from tree to tree chasing other woodpeckers away. This was my one target bird! It is a very unusual woodpecker in that it is green, pink and red rather than black, white and red. The photos aren't great but I think you can see the colors.

Lewis's Woodpecker

Here is a shot of it flying directly over our heads as we stood int he middle of a field. You can see that it is molting wing feathers in the photo. Check out that pink belly.

Lewis's Woodpecker

We drove along Highway 1 through Malibu on our way to the airport. We didn't see any movie stars but we got a great look at some stars in the shorebird world including this Long-billed Curlew.

Long-billed Curlew

This bird knows how to use that bill too. I watched as it plucked sand crabs out of the surf with the tip of the bill and adeptly worked the crab all the way up and gulped them down. Incredible. Makes me ashamed that I can't use chopsticks.

Long-billed Curlew

That's it for now. I'm in San Francisco but I don't think I'll have any free time to go birding. I'll post if I do.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

As I said in the last post - the point of the trip was to visit my uncle which we did. The bonus was to get the Boobies. But our other goal was to get Barbara up to speed on her Southern California bird list. She hasn't birded this area before so she was itching to get as many new birds as possible - and she did. She got over 20 new species even though it isn't the "birdiest" time of year out there. Here are some of Barbara's new birds.

Other birds from the boat trip include this adult Heerman's Gull which was a target bird for me. I don't know how I missed this species on previous trips. I was so excited to see the first one that I took a photo of it waaaaaaay out in the harbor just so that I had something on record. Little did I know that we would see hundreds of them during our trip. This is the only gull that has gray body to go along with the wings.

Adult Heerman's Gull

Here is another Heerman's Gull. Juveniles start out really dark gray, almost black which is pretty handsome.

Heerman's Gull

Elegant terns were also present along the coast. These are pretty interesting looking with their black crest and long orange bill. There were dozens of them resting on the beach.

Elegant Tern

This one looks like he's about to start conducting the tern orchestra. And a one, and a two. . .

Elegant Tern

Another bird that we saw from the boat was Black-vented Shearwater. Same deal as the gull - we saw one and ran around the boat deck to get a look at it and then saw about 200 more after that. Unfortunately, these birds are difficult to photograph in evening light. This is the best that I could muster.

Black-vented Shearwater

This Brandt's Cormorant was hanging out with the Masked Booby (who was perched just above).

Brandt's Cormorant

The best part about these birds are the stunning blue eyes. This is another bird that swam by us while we were on the jetty looking at the Blue-footed Boobies. Women pay money for contact lenses to get eyes like that.

Brandt's Cormorant

Speaking of the boat. Here is a photo of Diane as she was video taping the hundreds of Dolphins that surrounded our boat. What a spectacle.